a friend for life
by Bonasena
Summary: I got inspired by another fan fic so I decided to go back in the past and make a story about Mac and Christine's first meeting. My plan is to make it go up to the show and continue after the show - so it is pretty much just Mac and Christine from the beginning - hope you like it. please review :)
1. first meeting

_I got inspired by another fan fic so I decided to go back in the past and make a story about Mac and Christine's first meeting. My plan is to make it go up to the show and continue after the show._

 **July 1983**

It was a hot summer day in the beginning of July. Lieutenant grade Mac Taylor had just graduated from the Marine academy together with his friend and roommate through the past 4 years, lieutenant Stan Whitney. Mac was ready to go home to his parents for a couple of weeks for relax before he was ready to start training for his coming up deployment in Beirut starting in September.

It had been a long hot spring with a lot of training. Mac had mostly played football in his free time. it made his brain relax between the study for the final test. He had past all his test with straight A's. he superior officer had told him that he could be a captain in short time. that was what he was working for.

Now all the test was over he had past the academy with perfect grades and he was now ready for the training for his deployment in Beirut. But first he had 4 weeks of vacation, that he was planning on spending in Chicago with his parents and also get time to visit his old friends and his girlfriend Julie had been talking about that she would come visit him and finally meet his parents. They had been dating for 4 years. He had meet her parents after 4 month of dating but she had refused to come to Chicago with him to meet his parents.

His friend Stan had been talking about for a while that his should break up with her. Stan said that she didn't really cared about him if she didn't want to meet his parents. Mac had cut him off. _of cause she cared about him. Otherwise she wouldn't have been dating him for 4 years._

Now Mac was sitting in his room on his bed. The bed was made for the last time. all his stuff, not that he had much, was packed and he was ready to leave and in a month he would move in to the base and start the training. Mac is sitting and looking around in the room. He doesn't consider himself as a sentimental guy, but it is still strange to leave a place that has been your entire world for 4 years. Mac looks at his football. it has his name on it. He is smiling by thinking of all the time he has spent playing football with Stan.

Suddenly Mac's thoughts is interrupted by Stan how comes in to the room in a hurry. "hey Taylor. All flights to Chicago I canceled." Stan informs. Mac gets up and walks out of the room to the lounge where the TV is. There are dozens of other young graduates that is watching the news.

"some tumult started on a flight that was ready to take off from Chicago airport. It is still unclear what exactly happened but the entire airport is evacuated and all flight coming in and going out of Chicago is cancelled…" the reporter in the news informs.

"damn it…" mac mumbles and walks back to his room followed by Stan.

"hey Man you can come with me home." Stan offers.

"thanks but your family is expecting you not me." Mac snaps. He knows it is a nice offer from Stan and he also knows that Mrs. And Mr. Whitney most likely didn't bother that Mac came along until he could go home. "hey sorry man. Thanks for the offer." Mac says and put a hand on Stan's shoulder.

"I'm going on the train in one hour you can just come along. Just hang out with me until you can go home." Stan says. Mac had meet hr. and Mrs. Whitney before. They were nice to Mac. They were almost tweeting him like their own son. Stan looks serious at Mac. Mac finally nods.

"okay." He says. Stan start taking his backpack on and Mac takes his stuff and gets ready to leave. On the way out of the room Stan looks back and Mac with a big smile.

"then you will also get a chance to meet my twin sister." Mac just shakes his head with a little chuckle.

"You know, Christine, I have told you about?" Stan reminds him. Mac nods.

He remembers Stan have been talking about his twin sister Christine a lot. Every time Stan had been home he had been talking about his sister and her totally jerk of a boyfriend. As Stan had described him. After Easter break when Stan came back he had informed Mac that his sister finally broke up with that jerk. Stan did exactly hide his happiness for his sisters break up but Stan's happiness had disappeared a month after in April when he received a letter from his mom that include information about that his sister was together with her boyfriend again. After that information Stan had refused to finish reading the letter. Mac didn't know if he ever finish reading the letter. Mac hadn't asked. Mac didn't like to asks to that kind of personal stuff.

Stan on the other hand was a totally different story. Every time Mac had spent a weekend or just a Sunday afternoon with Julie Stan had been interrogating him for hours after. He would ask about where they had been. what they had been doing. what they had been talking about. if they had done anything else. If they had been in her apartment. Mac mostly just answered yes or no of otherwise just short answered and as little details as possible. Mac is a very private man and he doesn't like to involve other people in his personal life. Especially not in his love life.

Truth be told not even his parents new everything about his personal life and he didn't even share everything with his girlfriend. For some unexplained reason, he didn't like to share everything with Julie. Even though he knew she shared everything with him. Her dreams, her thoughts about the future. He didn't share that kind of things with her. He told himself that it was okay not sharing everything in a relationship.

Mac and Stan walked down the hallway when a man who had just finish his second year came after then.

"lieutenant Taylor, sir." The young man called. Mac stopped and looked at him. The cadet saluted for Mac before he handled Mac a letter.

" just delivered for you, sir." The cadet informed. He saluted and then looked at Stan before he left. Mac looked at the letter. Stan looked over Macs shoulder to find out who it was from, but I didn't get to see it. mac put it in his pocket in his uniform jacket and then took his backpack and walked out of the hallway.

About 4 hours later at around 4 pm. Stan and Mac got out of a cab in front of a big farm house upstate New York. Maybe on hour in train north of New York City. It was Stan's parents' house. A big old house with lots of room of their 3 kids. As far Mac knew, Stan had to siblings. His twin sister Christine, who had just finished cookery school and their 5-year young brother Dan or Danny-boy, as Stan always referred to him as, was on going on his senior year of high school when the summer was over. Stan had once mentioned another sister named Sofia, but he had only talked about her one time, so Mac wasn't even sure if she really was his sister or if she even existed.

when the taxi left Mac and Stan took their bags and went inside. Stan just yelled out. "MOM, I'M HOME!" there was no response. Stan walked through the kitchen and into the Livingroom and out through a small door that lead out to the back yard. Mac followed after Stan.

Out in the backyard Mr. Whitney and an older woman sat in the chairs and talked. On the grass there was comic books open and a glass with bobbles in it. the chatter silenced when they see Stan. The older Woman stands up to hug Stan.

"Stan my little boy." The woman who barely could reach up to Stan's shoulder hugged Stan. Stan bent down to her. she was about half a meter lower than Stan.  
"hey grandma." Stan says.

The woman gives Stan a kiss on his cheek before she let go of him. Then Stan more formerly shake hand with his father Mr. Whitney.

"hallo, sir." Stan formerly greets. Then he steps a side and Mac steps closer to Stan.

"this is lieutenant Taylor. My friend and roommate." Stan introduce. Mac walks over and shake hands with Stan's grandmother.

"pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Mac says formally with a firm handshake. Then he turns to Mr. Whitney.

Before Mac get to say anything Mr. Whitney puts a hand on Macs shoulder.

"good to see you again, son." Mr. Whitney says. Mac just simply smiles and nods formally.

Stan seems much more relax now when he has placed himself in a chair. There is a chair next to Stan, where Stan nods that he can sit. Mac Sits down. Mac is sitting right and formally as if he were still in duty, while Stan is much more laid-back and relaxed. He is clearly at home and on vacation now. The Stan looks around wondering.

"where is mom?" then he looks down at the comic book on the grass. "and where is Danny boy?" Stan says.

"your mom is talking with Christine. She is…"

"Christ is home?" Stan interrupts his grandmother, why too happy about his sister being home to hear about his mother. Stan almost jumps up from the chair.

"Stanley!" his father says. Stan look serious at his father. His happiness about the news is go from his face.

"Christine is very upset. Give her some space. She broke up with her boyfriend today." His father informs with a serious look. Stan sits down in a relaxed position again.

"finally." Mac look at him in surprise at his not very sympathetic comment about his sister ended relationships. His grandmother look surprised at him too.

"Stan… he was cheating on her. She is very upset. Show her some sympathy." His grandmother says now in a must more educational tone. Mac looks at Stan. He is about to say something, but when he sees the look in his grandmother's eyes, that clearly tell him not to say anything about his sister's ex-boyfriend, he stops himself.

Later Mrs. Whitney came down and started making dinner. Stan's grandmother went in to the kitchen to help her. Mr. Whitney told Stan that Mac could sleep in the guestroom and that Mrs. Whitney had already found the beddings for him. Stan and Mac went upstairs to get their stuff ready. When they came up the stairs Stan pointed to a door that had a pink paper heart on the door. "that is Christy's room. She always hears loud noisy music at night. Just knock on the door and tell her to turn it down if you can't sleep." Stan informs then they walk to the door next to his sisters. "it can't be noisier then yours." Mac says with a teasing smile. Stan look back at Mac before I walks in to the guestroom. "believe m. it is." Stan says with a serious look, then they walk in to the guest room. Mac places his bags on the floor. Mrs. Whitney have placed the beddings on the desk.

"make yourself at home. I go unpack my stuff." Stan informs and leaves the room. Shortly after he stick his head in again.

"the bathroom is in the end of the hall." He informs. Then he leaves. Mac looks around. The room look like a teenage girl's bedroom. on the desk there is a picture frame of a young girl. Maybe 16 years old. She is brunette. She looks a little bit like Stan. Mac sit down and open his backpack. He takes out a few things and put it on the floor before he finds his shaving gear and his toothbrush. Mac can't stop looking at the brunette girl at the picture. He takes the picture and sit on the bed and look at it. he is wondering who she is.

"that's my sister."

Mac looks up. A blonde woman, around same age as Stan is standing in the door. She has a sweet smile and blue eyes, Mac notices. Mac puts the picture back at the desk.

"her name is Sofia. She was 16 last time I so her." She says and walks over to the desk. Mac stands up. She takes the picture and runs her thumb over the girls face on the picture.

"where is she now?" mac asks. He is not sure if he should ask about her.

"she… I don't know. She ran away when Stan and I was six. Shortly after my dad was shot in line of duty." She explains. Mac looks at the picture and then at the blonde girl. she puts the picture back at the desk and then turns to face Mac.

"I'm sorry. I'm… I'm Christine. Stan's twin." She smiles at Mac and shakes his hand.

"I know… I mean… I'm Mac Taylor." Mac says with a smile.

"you know who I am?" she asks. The she realizes. "ohh Stan probably mention me." She says.

Mac nods. "a few… okay maybe a hundred times over the past few years." They both starts laughing. "but it is nice to finally meat you. Stan had been saying a lot of great things about you." Mac says. Christine blush a little. There is a moment of silence. But not awkward silence but more like they both need to find the right word to say. Christine looks down.

"do you play football?" she asks after a moment.

"hmm… year." He says. "how do you know?"

Christine nods toward the football on the floor with Taylor written on it.

"your football on the floor." She says with a smile. He looks at the football and take it up and handle it to her.

"year my football. I have played since my freshmen year of high school." She nods and look at the old football. that clearly had been used a lot.

"are you good?" she asks with a daring smile. He nods with a little confident smile.

"better then Stan."

They both start laughing out loud.

Mac didn't know why, but he liked this girl. she was sweet and funny, but serious at the same time. but he knew it was wrong. He has a girlfriend, Julie. She just broke up with her boyfriend. And Must importantly: She was his best friend's sister. But she was nice. His thought keep going back to that. That she was nice. He kept looking at her sweet innocent smile in her eyes. His thoughts about her smile got interrupted when a Mrs. Whitney called that the dinner was ready. Mac and Christine left the room and Mac closed the door behind them. Unintentional Christine was still holding the football.

When they come out to the backyard Stan, Mr. and Mrs. Whitney and Stan's grandmother is there. Stan's little brother Dan is still missing.

"finally. Did you fall a sleep?" Stan sais when he sees them. Mac shakes his head. He knows Stan is just messing with him. Mrs. Whitney is setting the table with her bag to Mac. She stops and turns around to Mac.

"oh hey Mac. So good to see you." She says and hugs Mac.

"thanks for letting me stay he." He says always polite.

"you are always welcome." She says. "take a seat." She orders.

Everyone finds a seat around the little too small table. Mac is sitting next to Christine. And Stan places himself between Mac and his father. He looks down at Mac.

"why haven't you changed?" Stan asks. Stan is in swim shorts and a tight white T-shirt and flip floppers. Mac knows that Stan is way more casual then himself. Mac would never where that kind of clothing outside of his parent's home. Not even in Julies place. He prefers the uniform or a suit and tie.

"I didn't had time." mac defense. Even though he knows that it isn't true. He could just had asked Christine to leave the room so he could change but…

"you just had 20 minutes." Stan interrupts his thoughts. "you didn't have to set your hair. That is normally what takes 20 minutes." Stan says.

"Stan…" his mother says and then she looks at Mac with a smile. Mac just send her a quick smile and then look at Christine who give him a little smile. Her smile makes him warm inside. Then a young man, maybe 16 years old come out. He is wearing green swim shorts and no t-shirt and no shoes. His long blond hair is whet. He shakes his head like a wet dog.

"Daniel!" his father says like a command to stop.

"sorry dad my hair was wet." The young man says to his father with a cool attitude. Then the young man looks over at Mac, Stan and Christine. "hey look who is home? my beloved twin siblings." He says with a sarcastic tone. "hey Christ I thought you broke up with that punk of your boyfriend. You already got a new one? That must be new record." He says and starts laughing. Christine looks very angry at him. Mac notices that there is starting to be tears in her eyes. Her grandmother that is sitting on the other side of her takes her hand under the table and looks in to her eyes with a very comely look.

"Daniel Zackary Whitney! Stop it!" Mrs. Whitney says with a very raised voice. Dan look surprised at his mom.

"I was just kidding mom." He says a little embarrassed.

"show some respect son. Its Stan's friend marine Lieutenant of 1st grade Mac Taylor." Mr. Whitney informs his youngest son. Dan look at Mac.

"you are a lieutenant?" he asks very surprised. Mac nods.

"cool" Dan's response surprises and embarrass his father, Mac notices. Dan takes a seat between his parents and then starts putting food on his plaid like his unfortunate arrival hadn't happen. Everyone is just looking at him.

"so does that mean you are a boss or something?" Dan asks out of nothing while he is cutting his stake. Mac is surprised by the very direct question.

"mhh… year kind a. I'm a unite chiefs in combat. Well I will be. I'm going in to training camp in a month… With Stan." Mac informs. Then the rest of the family starts taking food.

"cool." Dan says while his mouth is full of steak.

"Dan, your manners." His mother reminding him. A little embarrassed while she is look over at Mac. Mac luckily doesn't seem to notice. So Mrs. Whitney continue with her food. But has noticed the youngest manners. He kind a reminds him of Stan, the first year at the academy. Whenever they left the academy and when on some free time. Stan's manners seemed to totally disappeared.

After the dinner Mrs. Whitney, Christine and her grandmother cleaned the table while Mac went upstairs and changed to some more comfortable close. A pair of marine football shorts and US Marine Academy T-shirt with his last name on the back. when he was hanging up his uniform jacket he remembered the letter he got right before he left the academy. He looked at it and recognized the handwriting. It was from Julie. He put it back in his uniform pocket. It could wait until later.

Mac came out to the backyard again. only Christine was sitting there on a blanket on the ground. She smiled to Mac. He stopped in the doorway and looked at her. She was wearing a nice white top and a pair of white leggings. She looked so beautiful. Her hair was loose and she had a pair of sunglasses sitting in her hair.

"sunglasses at this time of day?" he said with a little smile. She looked up at him.

"yes. The sun is still up." She said and pointed to the horizon where the sun was barely visible. Mac nodded. "okay. That make perfect senses." He stepped outside. He looked around.

"where is your father and Stan and your little brother?"

Christine smiled just thinking about it. "he is in trouble." Mac chuckled a little.

"for what?" He asked. Even though he perfectly knew it was for Dan's unfortunate behavior at the dinner table.

"for his… disrespectful comments to you and Stan and about your uniform and your… rang. I think." She explains. Mac nods.

"okay. I hope they are not too hard on him for that. He is just young." Mac says.

Mac is about to take a seat in one of the chair but Christine silences invites him to take place next to her on the blanket. He accepts in silences. He walks over and sit down next to her. He notices she has his football on her lap. She takes it up and looks at his name that is made on it with a black marker. Clearly it is long time ago because the name is almost gone. She drives her thumb over the name and then look at Mac.

"why is this football so special?" she asks.

He looks confused at her to clarify and she continues.

"there must be something special since you have it on the academy when you graduated and it has your name on it." she points and he nods. He takes the football in his hands. He has never told anyone the story before but for some reason he felt like he wants to tell Christine the story. She had just asked and normally when people asked him about personal things he would shout down. "is it your lucky football?" she asks with a teasing smile and dare him to answerer. He smiles.

"well… I don't know. This was the ball in the last game I played in high school against the rival team." He says. Christine look at him with a smile.

"I sound to me like there is more in that story then jus at game against the rival team." She has a smile in her eyes that dares him to tell her the story. "it has something to do with a girl." she says. Mac starts smiling.

"year kind of. Actually the head cheerleader." She looks shocked at him. "you are a cheerleader type?"

she says with a teasing smile. He blushes a little and look away. "she was my best friend."

"year right." She says in disbelieve. Mac look surprised at her to make her clarify.

"a football player that is only "friend" with the head cheerleader. That doesn't exist."

Mac take a deep breath before he confesses. "okay. I had asked her to go to prom with me and she had said no." he explains. Christine look first satisfied about that she was right about the crush the surprised about the rejection. Mac continues.

"she was so upset about the past 5 times our school had played against that team we had lost. I was the quarterback. So right before the game she came over to me. I was joking with that when we lost the game we could go for pizza. She said that if I promised to make an effort to win the game she would go to prom with me. But I said no."

Christine look surprised.

"let me get this straight. A girl you had asked to prom and had said no, offers you to go with you and you say no. that doesn't make any sense."

Mac nods with a secret smile.

"there is more?" Christine says. Mac nods.

"I heighted the price." He says with a smile.

"you are snaky." She says with a smile. He nods.

"I told her that if we won I only wanted one thing. A kiss." Christine smiles.

"but she refused. She told me the deal was of and left." Christine look very surprised.

"that doesn't sound like there is a good ending for this."

"after the game, that we won by the way. She came over to me and kissed me. In front of the rest of the team. And after that she was my girlfriend for 5 months until I joint the Marine corps and she moved to Las Vegas."

Christine smiles. "that was a sweet story. She was your first girlfriend, right?" he looks surprised.

"I didn't say that."

"no, but that would be the only reason why you would keep this close to you. Because she means something special to you."

He nods. "year okay. She was."

"what was her name?" she asks.

He looks down. He hadn't never told anyone this story before. Not even his parents know that she was his girlfriend.

"Her name was Wendy." He says and takes the football and look at it. she notices his way of saying her name is full with emotions.

"you still think about her?" she asks.

Mac looks up serious at her.

"no. I have a girlfriend. Her name is Julie and we have been together for four years now." He almost sounds offended by her question. Her gets up and walks away from her. He gets up and walks over to him and grape his wrist from behind.

"wait." He stops and look at her without any sign of emotions. It kind a scares her. 1 minutes ago he had the sweets smile in his eyes. He was sitting close to her and now he is defensive and looking at her without any emotions. She pulls herself together before she starts talking.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. She says and is looking in to his eyes. She is hoping to find a little bit of that sparkle that he had a few minutes ago.

Mac looks down. He hates himself for reaction like that. He didn't mean to shout her down like that. He looks up and send her a little nervous smile. She starts smiling too. He looks at the football.

"have you ever played?" he asks.

She looks surprised.

"Football?" he nods.

"no I hadn't. my brothers always say it is a guy's game."

Mac starts smiling.

"do you want to play?" he asks. she smiles.

"okay. But I never tried before."

"okay I will help you."

He starts to guide her how to trough the ball. And they start to through the ball to each other. They are laughing and totally unaware of Stan and Mr. is coming out of the house. Mr. Whitney and Stan is looking at them.

"she is hitting on him. And it works?" Stan says very surprised.

"he is a good man. It is good for her to laugh and have a good time. she didn't have an easy last year at the school." Mr. Whitney says. Stan knows that. Every time he has been talking to Christine on the phone or when he has spoken with his mother or received letters from his mother. He could tell that Christine wasn't happy. He hadn't heart her wonderful laughter for almost a year, now that he was thinking about it. he hated when she was sad. Mostly because she was grumpy all the time and it went especially out of him when she was sad. He normally didn't say anything to her when she snapped at him, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt him, to see her like that.

Now she was playing around with his best friend. It always freaked him out when she was flirting with someone in front of him. And thinking about that it was his best friend that he for four years had been asking way too personal and detailed questions about his love life. Totally freaked him out. But I enjoy seeing his sister happy and smiling. Then he could deal with the best friend vs sister's boyfriend problem if it came to that.

Stan sat down across the table from his father. Shortly after Mrs. Whitney and the old Mrs. Whitney came out. They both stopped in the doorway when they saw Christine and Mac. the she smiled and joined Mr. Whitney and Stan at the table.

Later around midnight when everyone in the Whitney family was a sleep, Mac went upstairs to the guestroom. It was quiet. The day didn't go as planned. I didn't go home to Chicago to see his parents, but it had been a pretty good day anyway and he was pretty sure that he had got a really good friend in Christine.

He got in to his room and got to bed. Before he turned off the light I decide to read the letter from Julie. She would probably just say congratulation with the graduation. She had been at work today and it had been impossible for her to get the day off. He took the letter and went to bed before opening it.

 _Dear Mac_

 _Congratulation with your graduation today._

 _I'm sorry I couldn't be there but I had to work._

 _There is something I had been thinking about for a while. We haven't been talking much over the past few months. Mostly we have been arguing. There hasn't been must love and good feelings between us lately. You will probably say that we have been sleeping together. This is right but that has mostly been to make up for the argument and not for the right reason. Because we want to be together._

 _Over the past four years you have asked me a lot of times if I want to come to Chicago with you to meet your parents. It not that I don't want to meet your parents. I just want to meet the really you first, and I'm not sure I have that yet. I hadn't felt like I actually know you. I keep felling that you are not sharing must of yourself in our relationship. I need a guy who can actually make a commitment. You are to much a one-man band. Sorry Mac._

 _I feel like I want more of a relationship, then what we have together. I am starting to think about family and kids and you don't even know what you want of your career even through you are 20 years._

 _I hope you find someone, that wants the same as you and that you someday learn how to commit yourself to another person._

 _Good luck._

 _Love_

 _Julie._

Mac looked at the letter again. he wasn't really that surprised. He knew that had a lot of arguments over the past few months. She was right he didn't have any plan for starting a family or for what he wants with his career yet. He always told himself that he had time to figure it out. She was right he need to find someone that want the same in life at him. He just needed to figure out first what he wants in life.

He knew one thing. He wants to get some sleep now and then go home to Chicago tomorrow. Then he could figure out the rest later on.


	2. a family full of love

a family full of love

July 1983

The next morning Mac got up at around 5 to take a run. He walked down to the kitchen without waking anyone up, but when he came down to the kitchen Christine was already up and sitting in the kitchen together with her grandmother. Mac heard she was talking about the brake up with her boyfriend. He didn't want to interrupt, so I tried to sneak out without notice but Christine saw him.

"morning Mac." she said in a way happier tone now. Mac comes in to the kitchen.

"where are you going this early Lt. Taylor?" older Mrs. Whitney asks.

Mac smiled. "I just want to take a run." He explains.

"before breakfast?" the older woman looks surprised. Mac smiles and nod. "yes I can't run on a full I always eat breakfast after my morning run."

"how about a cup of coffee first?" the older woman asks and before Mac get to answer her she is already up and making a cup ready for him. Mac knows he can't get out now. He walks in to the kitchen. Christine is sitting at the table in her pajamas pants and a t-shirt. She sends Mac a smile that clearly said _I'm sorry I should not have said anything._ Mac just send her a smile that says it's okay.

"come and sit down with us." Christine says.

Mac takes a seat closest to Christine.

"did you sleep well?" Christine asks.

Mac nods. It's clear to him she is just saying something because she knows that even thought her grandmother is standing with her bag to them she is stilling listing to every word the say. They are sitting a little in silences. Mrs. Whitney comes over with a cup of hot steaming coffee for Mac. the she leaves the kitchen.

"where are you going grandma?" Christine asks.

"I'm just getting something." She explains and leaves without further explanation. Then Mac and Christine are left alone in the kitchen. They look after her as she leaves. When she is going mac take a sit of the steaming hot coffee. It is way too strong for Mac. it takes like his mother's coffee. Christine recognize the look on his face and can't help but laughing a little. Mac look back to see if Mrs. Whitney has come back.

"you don't have to drink it you can just go on your run if you want." She says and put her hand on his.

He looks down at their hands. She realizes it and quickly removes her hand. Their eyes meet for a short moment, then she looks away when she is blushing.

"it was fun last night…" he says. She looks at him a little confused. "I mean playing football with you." They both smiles.

"hmm… it was fun. I wasn't really good, right?" she asks. mac look away for a moment. He doesn't want to tell her that she wasn't.

"okay. Just say is was terrible." She says. He looks at her.

"okay. You need a little practice in catching the ball."

They start laughing. Christine gets up and walks over and takes out a cup.

"do you want a cup of tea?" she asks.

"yes please."

She starts making two cups with tea. While she is waiting for the water she looks at the door where her grandmother left through.

"I don't think she is coming back any time soon." She concludes.

"maybe she went back to sleep?" mac says.

"no she and I always get up early to have time to talk before everyone else gets up. It's the only time that we have without interruption." She says. Mac looks down. Christine realize that she actually just said that he interrupted them. "sorry I didn't mean it that way." She says.

"it's okay." He says. "I didn't know there was anyone up at this time."

"we were just talking about my stupid ex-boyfriend." She says. Its clear that she gets angry as soon as she is thinking about him. She looks over at Mac. "sorry. You don't want to hear me complaining about my terrible love life." She says and finish up the two cups with tea and comes over to the table with it.

"it's okay." He says and put his hand on hers.

"your girlfriend…"

"Julie" mac field in her name.

Christine nods. "year. You have been together for four years right?"

Mac nods. "she broke up with me." He says and take a long sit of the tea. Christine look surprise at him.

"but you said last night…"

Mac nods. "she broke up with me yesterday in a letter I got when I left the academy. I didn't open it until last night. Maybe because I, in some way, knew what it was about."

Christine look him into the eyes.

"did you?" she asks.

Mac shake his head. "I don't know. I like to believe so."

"so It doesn't hurt so much?" mac nods. "I know the feel. I keep thinking about I should have seen that he was cheating on me. I should have seen the small things… but the truth is: I didn't. I had no clue that he was sleeping with his X." she takes a long sip at her tea.

"the worth thing a person can do in a relationship is cheating." Mac says. She looks up.

"the worst part is. A few years ago Stan told me that he had been cheating on his girlfriend. And I actually told I'm that sometimes it is okay. But now… I hate my ex-boyfriend and I actually can't stop thinking about that my own twin brother could do the same."

She shakes her head in disgust. Mac look down at his cup before saying anything else. He cannot believe that Stan would be cheating on a woman. Stan is the most honest and loyal guy he knows. But maybe that is only as a friend, brother and colleague that Stan is that loyal.

"how long where you together with him?" mac asks.

Christine look up. "two years. On off." She says. Mac starts smiling a little. He already knows that it has been on/off with Christine and her boyfriend. Every time she broke up with him. Stan was always very happy and every time they got back together Stan was very angry. Christine look at him.

"what is so funny?"

Mac stop smiling when he realizes that is actually mean to her, smiling at her turbulent relationship.

"sorry. Just something with Stan I was thinking about. But it is pretty mean to you actually."

"what is it?" she asks. when she is asking with a smile Mac decides to tell her.

"I have actually been following you on/off relationship, through Stan. Whenever he heard that you had broken up with your boyfriend he was almost partying and when he heard you were together with him I was really sad."

Mac is waiting for Christine's response. She starts laughing.

"that actually doesn't surprise me. Stan never liked him anyway. Now I understand why."

"he is just looking out for you."

Christine stops laughing and nods with a serious look.

"year I know."

At about 7.30 Mrs. And Mr. Whitney joins them in the kitchen for breakfast. And at around 8.30 Stan and Dan comes down when their grandmother has waked them up. It is pretty clear that Dan isn't exactly a morning person.

"why do I have to wake up this early in my summer vacation?" he asks when he comes in to the kitchen to the rest of the family.

"morning to you, sir." Mrs. Whitney says. Dan just makes a grimaces at her before he starts preparing his bowl with serial and walks over and places himself between Mac and Christine without notices that they were having a conversation. Everyone is looking at Dan. He doesn't notice and just focus on his serial.

"Mac did you take your morning run?" Stan asks. mac shakes his head.

"no I got offered coffee."

"I didn't had time to warn him." Christine says with a teasing smile and looks at Mac.

"oh you got grammar's coffee. Year that would just have made you a very fast runner." Stan says and everyone starts laughing.

Mac stands up and take his coffeecup over to the sink.

"you don't have to do that." Mrs. Whitney says. "let me do it."

"I think I will go take a shower and get my stuff ready." Mac informs.

"yes. Stan can drive you to the airport." Mr. Whitney says. Stan looks up from his cup of coffee.

"I can?" he asks.

Mr. Whitney through the car key to him.

"yes you can. Be a gentleman to your friend." His farther says. Christine starts laughing.

"Stan, Gentleman? That is a really bad joke, dad."

Stan gives Christine a loving push. Mac is just observing the Whitney family. It is a family full of love and laughter. He leaves the room and go up to the guestroom to get his stuff ready.

In the afternoon Stan is driving Mac to the airport. When they come to the airport and it is time to say goodbye, Stan gives Mac a hug.

"see you in 4 weeks." Mac says.

"see you, lieutenant." Stan says with a smile.

Then Mac pick up his bags.

"hey… one thing." Stan says. Mac look at Stan.

"do you have a crush on my sister?" he asks. mac starts laughing.

"no I don't."

"are you sure? You have been flirting with her since you saw her."

Mac shakes his head.

"no. I hadn't. I don't have a crush on your sister. She is nice but I don't think she is my type. And…"

"don't say you have a girlfriend." Stan interrupts his defense speech. "I know Julie broke up with you in that letter."

Mac look surprised.

"how did you know that?"

"she came to me a few weeks ago. You were in training at that time. she asked me about you and she told me that she was going to break up with you but she didn't want to do it before you graduated. I have been trying to tell you over the past week but you didn't want to listen to me."

Mac looks down. He realizes now that Stan didn't talk about he should break up with Julie, because he didn't like her, but to protect him from being dumped.

"thanks buddy. For trying to help me."

Stan sends him an accepting smile. Then Mac takes his stuff and leaves for the flight.


End file.
